Last Updated on 3 years by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: Fewest wickets to fall in Test history: Stats from bore draw in Rawalpindi | Stats from bore draw between Australia and Pakistan at Rawalpindi
Had the first Test between Pakistan and Australia matched the hype before the series, we may have witnessed one of the great Test matches. Instead, it was one to forget, with Australia’s first Test in the country since 1998 ending in the borest of bore draws.
Just 14 wickets fell across the five days in a total of 379.1 overs. What’s worse is most of the dismissals were due to batting errors rather than from brilliance from the bowler or assistance from the pitch. The batsmen feasted, scoring a total of 1,187 runs on a pitch that surely must face scrutiny from the ICC.
Test cricket deserves better than this Rawalpindi wicket. There was almost no sideways movement or any uneven bounce as the Test went on, with the surface too slow for the bowlers to make an impact. The ball going past the bat was as rare as an ecclipse; an event worthy of bringing all your family and friends around the TV or smart device to watch the replay of such a momentous occasion.
With the second Test starting on Saturday in Karachi, Pat Cummins rightly chose not to bowl the lead seamers after going wicketless early in the second innings. However, Australia have some questions to answer, including their team combination in conditions that calls for at least two spinners.
Here are some stats highlights (or lowlights) from a forgettable Test in Rawalpindi.
Stats from bore draw between Pakistan and Australia in Rawalpindi
Fewest wickets to fall in a completed Test (minimum 330 overs)
Before this Test, the fewest wickets to fall in a Test match not significantly affected by rain (minimum 330 overs) was 17. This Test match now has the record for the lowest number of wickets to fall in this category, with just 14 scalps taken across the five days. Tough watch.
The second-worst bowling average in Test history (minimum 1,200 balls)
Australia finished the Test with just four wickets, as Pakistan amassed 728/4. Worse, one was a run out, one was from a reverse sweep and another was the result of a brain fade by Abdullah Shafique on the stroke of lunch on day one.
Australia’s bowlers took their wickets at 238.3 runs apiece, which is the second-worst in Test history among teams who bowled at least 1,200 balls in the match. The worst remains the West Indies, who took 2/777 against Pakistan way back in 1958.
Also, Australia’s four wickets is the lowest they’ve ever taken in matches where they bowled at least 200 overs. Toil.
Both openers with unbeaten centuries for just the second time in Test history
As Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq plundered unbeaten centuries, little did they know they achieved a feat not seen in nearly 40 years. For the first time since Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes against Australia in 1984, openers Shafique and Imam scored unbeaten centuries.
Also, it is the most runs Australia have conceded in a completed innings without taking a wicket. In that 1984 Test, Haynes and Greenidge plundered 250. Imam and Shafique beat it by two runs in a comfortable second dig.
3 consecutive 100+ opening stands for the first time ever
Never before has there been a Test where three consecutive opening stands yielded 100+ runs. Shafique and Imam struck partnerships of 105 and 252, while Usman Khawaja and David Warner amassed 156. If Australia had the chance to bat again, it would have been a relatively safe bet that Warner and Khawaja would have struck 100+ on a flat wicket.
First time Australia concede twin opening century stands in over 50 years
Not since 1971 have Australia been on the end of two century stands from the opposition openers in the same Test. It has happened five times overall against Australia, with Geoff Boycott and John Edrich the last to achieve the feat.
The series will now move to Karachi on a pitch that typically provides help for the spinners. Fans will be hoping for a much more sporting surface after one of the awful Tests to start off a highly-anticipated series.
The second Test begins on Saturday.
